Drapery display carrier



United States Patent Ofifice 3,2911% Fatented Jan. 10, 1967 3,297,169 DRAPERY DISPLAY CARRIER Edward E. Schaefer, River Forest, 111., assignor to Central Specialties Co., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 400,660 8 Claims. (Cl. 211-94) This invention relates to display devices and more particularly relates to a display carrier for displaying drapery panels and the like from an elevated support structure.

Many dry goods shops and department stores now employ multiple-track type support structures for displaying a series of drapery panels in a natural manner. Such support structures usually include one or more tracks secured to the ceiling or other elevated horizontal support surface, and a plurality of shiftable support members or rollers are provided on each track, to which the drapery panels are connected. Thus, a potential buyer may readily compare the various drapery panels supported from the tracks as to material, design and style, and may also fold or shift the panels with respect to adjacent or underlying panels in order to obtain some idea as to how the panels will appear when actually installed.

While the foregoing type of support structures are advantageous to shoppers, they have proven objectionable from the retailers standpoint because the draperies are frequently damaged due to handling. Thus, because of the fact that the drapery supporting rollers oftentimes become jammed in their associated tracks, the efforts of a shopper to shift a panel supported by a jammed roller results in stretching and/ or tearing of the panel.

Accordingly, it is a general object .of the present invention to provide a novel display carrier adapted for use with an elevated support structure for displaying drapery panels, curtains or the like in a realistic manner.

A more particular object is to provide a novel drapery display carrier of the foregoing character which minimizes the possibility of damage to a drapery panel when the panel is manipulated by a shopper.

A further object is to provide a novel display carrier for displaying a light-Weight drapery panel or the like from an elongated horizontal support or track, which facilitates shifting of the panel along the track.

Still another object is to provide a novel display carrier for displaying draperies or the like from a horizontal support or track and which includes means for preventing overlap when two or more carriers are mounted on the same track.

Other objects and advantages of the invention wiil become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying sheet of drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical multiple-track drapery or curtain support structure and showing in dotted lines a pair of drapery display carriers embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged rear elevational view of one and a portion of another of the display carriers illustrated in FIG. 1 and showing additional details of the construction thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a somewhat enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1 a multiple-track type drapery or curtain support structure 10 is illustrated. The support structure 10, in the present instance, comprises a plurality of elongated, laterally spaced horizontal support members or tracks 11 secured as by brackets 12 to the underside of a horizontal support surface 13, such as a ceiling or similar structure. The lateral spacing between the tracks 11 is such as to prevent interference between the various sets of drapery panels or curtains, indicated at 26-24, supported therefrom. The tracks 11 may be of any desired length but are preferably suiliciently long to accommodate a series of drapery panels or curtains, and may be provided with removable abutments or stops 14-at each end thereof.

Each track 11 is adapted to receive a plurality of slidable support members or rollers 16 (FIG. 2), a pair of the rollers 16 being necessary to provide a mounting for a display carrier 39, the latter embodying the features of the present invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 in conjunction with FIG. 1, the display carrier 31) preferably comprises a rigid support member or frame 31 which may be of heavy wire or rod and bent into the shape of a U to provide a horizontal bar portion 32 and upwardly extending vertical arm portions 33. The upper ends of the arm portions 33 may be bent into hooks 34 for releasably engaging eyes 36 which depend from the rollers 16. Thus, the hooks 34 permit a carrier 30 to be readily engaged with or disengaged from a pair of the rollers 16 and are bent in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 1 -and.2 to permit pivotal movement of the frame 31 away from a vertical wall, as indicated at 35 in FIG. 1.

Secured to the vertical arm portions 33 of the frame 31 is a horizontal support member or crossbar 4%. The crossbar 40 is preferably secured to the vertical arm portions 33 so that the upper marginal edge, indicated at 25, of a drapery panel does not contact or rub against its supporting track member 11 thereabove. In addition, the crossbar 40 preferably has a length somewhat greater than the horizontal bar portion 32 so that the outer ends, indicated at 41, of the crossbar 40 project outwardly of the arms 33.

The crossbar 4% is adapted to be engaged by one or more drapery hooks or hangers 26, the latter being engageable with the upper or supporting hem, indicated at 27, of a drape adjacent the upper marginal edge 25 thereof. The hooks 26 are conventional and include a portion 28 (FIG. 3) which is adapted to engage the hem 27 of a drape and a hook portion 29 which is adapted to extend over a horizontal support such as the crossbar 40 of the carrier 30.

According to the present invention, horizontally spaced means is carried by each crossbar 40 for maintaining the material of the upper or supporting hem 27 of a drapery panel in a natural, extended condition when the panel is mounted on the crossbar 40. Such horizontally spaced means, in the present instance, comprises a plurality of inverted U-shaped members or wire bails 46 secured to the front or drapery side of the crossbar 49. The bails 46 are equidistantly spaced such that the panel will hang in a natural manner when the hook portions 29 of the associated drapery hooks 26 extend through the open areas of the bails 46 and over the crossbar 40'. Thus, the spaced bails 46 assure uniform extension of the hem 27 of a drapery panel mounted on the carrier 30 and the spaced arm portions 33 prevent binding or jamming of a pair of the rollers 16 to which the frame 31 is connected so that the frame 31 and drapery panel mounted thereon are freely slidable along a track 11.

It will be understood that means other than the bails 46 could be employed to maintain the desired spacing between the drapery hooks 26, as for example notches or recesses formed in the upper surface of the crossbar 40 Assuming that the panels 20-24 are each m0unte on a display carrier 30 and a shopper decides to shif or to otherwise displace a panel toward or over a1 adjacent panel, as illustrated by the position of the panels 23 and 24 in FIG. 1, such movement is easil accomplished because of the free slidability of the car riers 30 along the tracks 11. During such movement the individual drapery hooks 26 are maintained in fixed position on their supporting crossbar 40 becaus of the interlocked relation of the hook portions 29 there of with the bails 46, and the material of the panels is prevented from bunching or otherwise being collapsed. When the drape is released it will again hang in a uniform and natural manner.

In order to assure that adjacent carriers 30 will not overlap each other when one is shifted or caused to be moved toward the other, as is illustrated by the panels 23 and 24 in FIG. 1, means in the form of an abutment or stop 47 is provided at the remote outer ends 41 of each crossbar 40. Preferably, such abutment or stop comprises a plate-like disc 47 having a diameter such as to assure engagement with an adjacent disk on another carrier 30 throughout a range of relative pivotal movement between adjacent carriers. The manner in which adjacent disks 47 engage each other to prevent overlap of an adjacent pair of carriers 30 and the drapery panels mounted thereon, such as the panels 20 and 21, is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

As heretofore mentioned, the horizontal bar portion 32 of the carrier 30 is disposed substantially below the hooks 34 at the upper ends of the arms 33 and the crossbar 40. Such construction increases the weight of the carrier 30 and also serves to stabilize the carrier during lateral shifting along a track 11, particularly when a light weight drapery panel is mounted thereon. The disposition of the bar portion 32 below the crossbar 40 also provides a stabilizing pendulum action and thus prevents unintentional disengagement of the hooks 34 from the eyes 36 when a drapery panel or curtain is being handled by a potential buyer.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that variations and modifications thereof may be effected without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A display carrier for displaying a drapery panel or the like, comprising a horizontal support member, means for freely shiftably connecting said support member to a horizontal support structure, said support member having means to support a drapery panel or the like from a marginal edge thereof, and a plurality of inverted U-shaped members secured to said horizontal support member at uniformly spaced points therealong, each of ;aid U-shaped members being adapted to receive and 'etain an associated drapery hook engaged with a margin- 11 edge of a panel for maintaining said marginal edge It a uniformly extended condition when a drapery panel mounted on said support member, whereby said car- 'ier is effective to permit a drapery panel mounted there- )n to be freely shifted therewith with respect to said upport structure with the material of a marginal edge hereof in a uniformly extended condition.

2. The display carrier of claim 1 further characterized a that an abutment is provided on at least one end of aid horizontal support member, said abutment being dapted to coact with a similar abutment on another dislay carrier suspended from the same support structure, vhereby said carriers are prevented from ovelapping each ther and becoming jammed.

3. A display carrier for displaying a drapery panel r the like from a horizontal track having freely shiftable JPPOI'IZ members mounted thereon, said carrier comprising a U-shaped frame having a horizontal bar portion and spaced vertically extending arm portions having upper ends, the upper end of each arm portion engaging a shiftable support member on said track for connecting said carrier to said horizontal track, a horizontal crossbar secured to said arm portions adapted to support a drapery panel or the like from a marginal edge thereof, and means carried by said crossbar for maintaining a marginal edge in a uniformly extended condition when a panel is mounted on said carrier, whereby said carrier is effective to permit a drapery panel mounted thereon to be freely shifted with respect to said horizontal track with the material of a marginal edge in a uniformly extended condition.

4. The drapery display carrier of claim 3 further characterized in that the upper ends of said arm portions are bent into hooks to permit disengagement of said carrier from said shiftable support members.

5. The display carrier of claim 3 further characterized in that said vertically extending arm portions have a length such that said horizontal bar portion is disposed substantially below an upper marginal edge of a drapery panel adapted to be mounted on said crossbar.

6. The display carrier of claim 3 further characterized in that said crossbar has a length greater than that of the horizontal bar portion of said frame so that each end of the crossbar projects outwardly of the arm portions of the frame, and an abutment is provided on each end of said crossbar, whereby a pair of said display carriers mounted on the same track are prevented from overlapping each other when one of said carriers is shifted toward the other.

7. The display carrier of claim 6 further characterized in that said abutments comprise circular, plate-like disks.

8. In combination, at least one horizontal track member having rollers mounted thereon, and a display carrier adapted to support and display a drapery panel or the like therefrom, said display carrier comprising a frame having a horizontal bar portion and spaced vertical arm portions having upper ends, said upper ends being engaged with a pair of said rollers for shiftably connecting said frame to said track member, a horizontal support member carried by said frame and adapted to support a drapery panel or the like from a marginal edge thereof, and means carried by said support member for maintaining a marginal edge of a panel in a uniformly extended condition when a panel is mounted on said support member, whereby said carrier is effective to permit a drapery panel mounted thereon to be freely shifted therewith along said track member with the material of the marginal edge of a panel in a uniformly extended condition.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,154,080 9/1915 Wayditch 211-162 2,761,499 9/1956 Ohlander 126 2,771,196 11/1956 Scheurmann 21194 2,867,918 1/1959 Miller 35-40 3,158,914 12/ 1964 Guarini 24-86 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. W. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner, 

3. A DISPLAY CARRIER FOR DISPLAYING A DRAPERY PANEL OR THE LIKE FROM A HORIZONTAL TRACK HAVING FREELY SHIFTABLE SUPPORT MEMBERS MOUNTED THEREON, SAID CARRIER COMPRISING A U-SHAPED FRAME HAVING A HORIZONTAL BAR PORTION AND SPACED VERTICALLY EXTENDING ARM PORTIONS HAVING UPPER ENDS, THE UPPER END OF EACH ARM PORTION ENGAGING A SHIFTABLE SUPPORT MEMBER ON SAID TRACK FOR CONNECTING SAID CARRIER TO SAID HORIZONTAL TRACK, A HORIZONTAL CROSSBAR SECURED TO SAID ARM PORTIONS ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A DRAPERY PANEL OR THE LIKE FROM A MARGINAL EDGE THEREOF, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CROSSBAR FOR MAINTAINING A MARGINAL EDGE IN A UNIFORMLY EXTENDED CONDITION WHEN A PANEL IS MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIER, WHEREBY SAID CARRIER IS EFFECTIVE TO PERMIT A DRAPERY PANEL MOUNTED THEREON TO BE FREELY SHIFTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID HORIZONTAL TRACK WITH THE MATERIAL OF A MARGINAL EDGE IN A UNIFORMLY EXTENDED CONDITION. 